Header.



S. P. WHITWORTH.

HEADER. API'JLGATxoN FILED JUNE 1e, 1909.

Patented Jan.23,1912.

4 SHBETS-SHBET 1.

s. P. WHITWOMH.

HEADER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 16, 1909.

Patented J an. 23, 1912.

s. P. WHITWORTH.

HEADER. APPLIUATION FILEDJUNE 16, 1909.

Patented Jan. 23,1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

S. P. WHITW'ORTH.

HEADER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 16, 1909. 1,01 5,368, Patented Jan. 23, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

UNITED sTA'rEs PATENT oEEroE.

SAM r. WHITwoRTH, or MERKEL, TEXAS.

l HEADER.

Be it known that I, SAM P. VHr'rwoRfrH, citizen of the United States, residing `at To all whom it may concern: t

' Merkel, in the county of Taylor and State yie of Texas, have invented certainvnewY and useful Improvements in Headers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention comprehends certain new and useful improvements in grainheaders, and the primary object of the invention is a machine of this character which is composed of comparatively few and simple parts that may be cheaply ymanufactured and easily assembled and which will operate efficiently to head the grain and carry the heads rearwardly into a trough'or receptacle suspended within the framework of the im'- pleinent, the present embodiment of the invention being arrangedto headtwo rows at the Sametime. vWith these and other objects in view vas will more' fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain constructions, arrangements and combinations of the parts that I shall hereinafter fully describe and claim. t

For `a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the followingfdescription and accompanying drawings, in which: y Figure l is a perspective view ofmy improved header, one of the chutes being omitted, to show parts which it would Otherf wise hide; Fig. Q is a longitudinal sectional view, one of the chutes being indicated in dotted lines; Fig. 3 is a top plan view; Fig. 4 is a detail'top plan view, partly insection.v

of the means for actuating the knife' blades;

F ig. 5 is a detail view of one of the guards,

and Figft isA a detail view of one'of the reels. Y

Corresponding and like parts are referred n to in the following description and indicated ranged to impartmovement to a spr`ocket`- in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.`

The main framework of my lmproved `,header comprises inner and outer longitudinal sills land 2, and front and rearcross bars 3 and 4:, the rear cross barbeing eX-v tended at one end, as indicated at 4a. to form the rear end of aside frame, said side `frame also including a longitudinal sillil and a front cross bar 6. The main driving and ground wheel 7 is mounted in the saidside frame between the sills l and 5 and isarthe drivers'seat l2, is secured to the intermediate longitudinal Specification of Letters Patent. i Patented J 3,11, 23, p i Application led .Tune 16, 1909. Serial No. 502,552. i

wheel 8. A chainy9 passes overy the sprocket A the sprocket wheel l() is loose on the shaft 11 and is arranged to be connected thereto and released. therefrom by any suitable clutch -mechanism, i ;the shipper lever ofv which 1s arranged in proper proximity to the seat spring of which sill l of the framework. i

13 designates a bracket whichf is secured to and which depends from the outside sill 2 'ofthe'` framework and is provided at its lower outwardly project-ing end with a spin-.j

dle on which the grainwheel or Vground wheel 14 is journaled.

The counter-shaft 1l has a sprocket wheel .15 secured .to it, and over thisV sprocket wheel'k there passesv a chain 16, the runs of which i extend forwardly and 'over a sprocket wheel l I7 onK a transversely Vextending shaft 18 which is the actuating shaft for the header mechanism. This shaft 18 is journaled at its ends in bearings securedtoy the longitudinal bars '19 of an auxiliary frame vwhich constitutes `the fsupport for the headingV mechanism. This frame comprises, in addi-Y rtion to the longitudinal bars ,19, the front and rear standards 2O `which are arranged 1for vertical movement. inthe bracket straps 2l that are securedV to theV inner faces of the `side sills land 2.

In l order to elevate or lower the heading mechanism bythe vertical Y Y adjustment of thisY auxiliary frame, links 522 y are connected to the side bars 19 and are also connected to cranks .23A which 'extend perpendicul'arly from' a transversely extendling rod'24 journaled to partlyrotate about `its longitudinal axis in the side sills l and"` 2. A hand" lever 25 is 'connected' to one. end ofthe rod l24 and its detent is arranged Afor' locking engagement withV a segment 26 se'- cured. tooneside of thesill 1."

. A'A linger bar 27 with two sets of forwardly ,extending and divertingv fingers 28,2.' isy secured ,in any desired way upon thetlongitudinal bars 19 of theelevated.auxiliary y frameworlgand a knife bar 29 reciprocates v 7 in a "transverse direction upon said finger 30.' The' knife bar 29 is reciprocatedfpby ybar and carries at its ends the headerblades a relatively short shaft 33. rlhe shaft 33 carries a relatively small beveled pinion 34 meshing with a bevel gear wheel 35 on the end of the shaft 18, the two pinions 34 and 35 being preferably located in a casing 36 secured to the inner side of one of the bars 19.

Brackets 37 are secured upon the finger bar 27 at the ends thereof, and a reel shaft 38 is journaled in said brackets and carries two reels 39 at its ends. The shaft 38 is rotated through the instrumentality of a sprocket wheel 40 secured thereto at its middle and a sprocket chain 41 passing around the sprocket wheel 40 and around a corresponding wheel 42 on the shaft 18. Guards f co-act with the iingers 28 of the iinger bar and with the reels 39, to properly pass the grain to the knives 30 at the proper elevation. In the present arrangement of theinvention, these guard devices include transversely eX- tending rollers 43 journaled in uprights 44 that are arranged for a vertical adjustment, as shown, in collars 45 mounted upon foi'- wardly diverging guard rods 4G. There is a pair of guard rods provided in frontof each cutting device. The inner or adjacent guard rods meet in a point and constitute afwedge whichY enters betweeny the stalks to divide the same into two rows and to direct said rows to the respective cutters.

As the heads are cut, they pass from the cutting mechanism onto rearwardly sloping chutes 47 and are conveyed thereby rearwardly and downwardly into a trough or receptacle 48 which is secured to and suspended within the main portion of the supporting framework between the sills 1 and 2 and front and rear cross bars 3 and 4. The trough 48 is provided at its rear end with a discharge door 49 hinged from its upper edge, as shown, the hinge rod 50 of said door being providedwith a rearwardly and Vupwardly projecting crank .S1-which is secured to the rear end of a link rod 52, said link rod being in turn connected at the forward end to a foot lever 53 fulcrumed on the 4longitudinal sill 1 in proximity to the driversseat 12. By this means it is evident the' driver may easily swing the door 49 rearwardly and upwardly to discharge the load whenever desired. In order to insure the proper closing of the door 49 and to hold it in closed position, said door has springs 54 connected to its side edges, said springs being also connected to slotted straps 5o adjustably secured by set screws to the sides of the trough 48, the adjustment of these 'straps varying the tension upon the door closing springs.

From the foregoing description in eonnection with the accompanying drawings, it is believed that the operation of my improved header 'will be obvious.

In the practical use of the machine, after the supporting frame for the header mechanism has been vertically adjusted to the desired elevation, the clutch for the sprocket wheel 10 is thrown in and the machine caused to travel across the iield, the grain being divided by guards 4G into two rows and passed underneath the guard rollers 43 and by the reels 39 to the knives 30. As the grain is cut, the heads pass rearwardly to the chutes 47 and are thereby conveyed downwardly and rearwardly into the trough 48, from whence they are discharged from time to time by the driver or operator press ing his foot upon the foot treadle or lever 53 so as to open the spring closed door 49.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

A header comprising a frame, a traction wheel partially supporting the same, a re- Vceptacle fixed to the frame and having a downwardly and rearwardly inclined forward side, a supplemental frame adjustably mounted upon the iirst mentioned frame,

`means for adjusting the supplemental frame vertically with relation to the first mentioned frame, a cutting apparatus mounted upon the supplemental frame, means for operating the cutting apparatus from the traction wheel, and a chute mounted upon the supplemental frame behind the cutting apparatus and having its delivery end disposed over the inclined side Of the receptacle.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature in presence two witnesses.

SAM l?. VHITVORTII.

lVitnesses J. R. lVrirrwoRrri, W. A. DANIELS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, 'by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

